Cert in Funeral Service and Mortuary Science

The Mortuary Science program at San Antonio College prepares students for work as funeral directors and embalmers. Graduates are readied to sit the national board examination that the funeral service industry requires. Coursework covers supporting grieving families, professional ethics, legal rules, safety and health principles, and the procedures behind burial, cremation and other forms of final disposition. Students also train in embalming and restorative art, and they study management skills for running a funeral home. The college describes itself as the first in Texas to offer college-based funeral service education, starting in 1961. An embalming facility is available on campus. Besides degree options, a Funeral Director Level II Certificate is offered for those who want to begin as entry-level funeral directors.